


Leave a Light on in the Wild

by SyciaraLynx



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Aurora is alluded to, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I didn't mean for it to get so deep, M/M, guys this was supposed to just be a cute quick fic, post trk, these boys are soffffttt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 01:36:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17295191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyciaraLynx/pseuds/SyciaraLynx
Summary: It was an accident the first time.Adam hadn't realized how effective he was being until he finished typing a few minutes later and went to turn around. Ronan jolted, unbalanced, and fell hard against him. They both hit the counter in a painful tangle of limbs.Or: Ronan is equal parts exhausted and stubborn, Adam discovers a weakness, and magic boys step clumsily in the right direction.





	Leave a Light on in the Wild

It was an accident the first time.

Adam had been standing in the kitchen, using Ronan's laptop to sort out his courses for University. He heard the muffled swearing and telltale creak on the stairs as Ronan came down in search of him. He snuck a noisy kiss onto Adam's cheek as he shuffled past him to get to the coffee machine.  
  
Adam glanced up at him and internally sighed. Ronan hadn't been sleeping for shit, and it showed. Dark rings circled under his eyes, and his skin was too pale to blame solely on his Irish complexion. He knew it wouldn't do either of them any good to mention it. He had tried, again and again, but each time it had turned into a not-fight between them that Adam hated.  
  
_"You need to sleep."_  
  
_"You think I don't fucking know that? I can't. At least, not always. The second I close my eyes, I'm back there. There is too much nightmare material now. I don't want to bring it back."_  
  
_"What if I scry into it? Try and help focus the chaos?"_  
  
_"You think I want you in my mental hellscape Parrish? Not fucking likely."_  
  
The "I refuse to put you in danger" always went unsaid. Adam understood, but it was frustrating. He knew he could help, but he also knew that if he did get hurt trying, even mildly, Ronan would never forgive himself. So he stopped trying to talk about it, and just offered silent support when he could.  
  
Now though, he smiled softly when Ronan's arms snaked around him from behind, hands resting against his stomach as he hooked his chin over Adam's shoulder. Adam turned just enough to return the earlier kiss to Ronan's temple, then returned to the task at hand. As Adam idly clicked through his half-finished time table, he brought his left hand up to hold the back of Ronan's neck, blunt fingernails scratching gently at the growing curls at the base. Ronan's appreciative groan reverberated against his shoulder, and he slumped more fully against Adam. He was comfy and warm, and Adam just kept his hand where it was, rubbing at a knot he could feel under his thumb. Ronan's hands tightened on his stomach for a moment and then relaxed completely, falling loosely by Adam's hips as Ronan dozed contentedly against his back.  
  
Adam hadn't realized how effective he was being until he finished typing a few minutes later and went to turn around. Ronan jolted, unbalanced, and fell hard against him. They both hit the counter in a painful tangle of limbs. Ronan frowned at him blearily as they straightened up.  
  
"Sorry Parrish, didn't mean to pass out on you like that."  
  
Adam gave him a half smile. "You obviously needed it."  
  
The words went unsaid again.  
  
_I love you. I want to help. Please tell me how to help. I hate seeing you like this._  
  
Ronan squeezed his hand and then started pulling things out of the fridge in search of breakfast material.  
  
Adam watched him, the beginnings of a plan starting to wind together in the back of his mind.  
  
\----------------

He starts small.  
  
A casual touch as he walks by Ronan, fingers whispering across the lines of black poking above Ronan's collar.  
  
He is more than pleased with the flash of bliss that passes over Ronan's features, followed by a curious quirk of an eyebrow.  
  
Small victories.

\----------

More and more he finds reasons to get his hands on Ronan throughout the day, and more and more he is rewarded with gentle submission and the tightness around Ronan's temples beginning to dissipate.  
He knows he's not being at all subtle anymore, but he can't stop now.  
  
One day when they are all packed into a booth at Nino's, he slings an arm across the back of the seat behind Ronan and smoothly runs his fingers through the hair at the back of Ronan's skull.  
  
Ronan slants a look at him, bending sideways to whisper in Adam's ear as the waitress appears to take their orders.  
  
"I know what you're doing."  
  
Adam smiles, looking down at his menu in an effort to not meet anyone's eyes at his blatant display of affection.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"We're talking about this later." Ronan says lowly, but he doesn't sound angry. And he doesn't make any effort to get Adam to stop, he simply tilts his head back and enjoys the press of Adam's fingers in tight muscles.  
  
Adam counts it as a win.

\---------

Later is apparently a few hours after they get home that night.  
  
Adam is curled up on one side of the couch, clicking through channels until he finds a House Hunters International marathon. He always found it insane to watch two rich white people decide which house in Barcelona was too far away from the water to warrant spending millions of dollars on.  
  
Ronan walked in, and stopped directly in front of him. His look to Adam was calculating. He was in his hideous (read: adorable) pajama pants that featured cows playing bagpipes on them and a soft grey henley that Adam had bought him for Christmas. He was also holding a pillow from the bed upstairs.  
  
"You win."  
  
Adam raised his eyebrows at him.  
  
Ronan huffed. "I want to try. Sleeping. While you do that neck thing."  
  
Adam smiled. "Did it help then? What I was doing?" He had never actually been sure, but he was willing to offer any comfort he could.  
  
Ronan didn't answer at first. He dropped his pillow across Adam's thighs and unceremoniously dropped onto the couch with his head in Adam's lap. Adam brushed his thumb along Ronan's cheek, dragging his gaze up to him.  
  
"Yes, genius, it did. I don't know how well it will work when I'm fully asleep, but I think it relaxes me enough that I can start dreaming more calmly, and I have more time to actually rest before it all goes to shit in there."  
  
Adam didn't reply, but the hopeful tone in Ronan's voice was almost crushing. Instead he leaned down for a quick kiss, then settled more firmly in the cushions and gripped Ronan's neck softly. He had a better angle like this, and was able to knead at some knots in his trapezius as well as his neck. Ronan moaned appreciatively and closed his eyes. Adam couldn't tell exactly the moment Ronan drifted off, but he felt his pulse against his thumb slow, and his breathing even out. He didn't know how long Ronan would be able to sleep like this, but he was content to sit where here for as long as he could.  
  
He had not intended to sleep as well.

\-------

Adam's eyes snapped open and he jolted forward. He winced as his neck pulled from where he had been curled over Ronan.  
  
Ronan gazed up at him, looking like he had been awake for a little while.  
  
"You're not allowed to be smug."  
  
Adam couldn't make sense of the words until he looked past Ronan. Light was streaming dimly through the windows, so it had to be early morning. Which meant that they had to have slept for at least 10 hours.  
  
Adam laughed when he looked back down at him. "I feel like I should be allowed one I-told-you-so."  
  
Ronan scoffed. "No." Then he sat up with a groan and promptly stared at his hands. Adam followed his gaze and sucked in a breath. There, nestled safely between Ronan's fingers, was a circlet woven from golden roses. It was equal parts eerie and beautiful, and when Adam met Ronan's gaze he could almost feel the hope and sadness warring in him.  
  
"Okay, maybe you can be a little smug." Ronan's voice was small and shell shocked. Adam hated it. He plucked the luminious item from Ronan's hands and placed it on the side table.  
  
Adam caught Ronan's face between his hands. "I'm proud of you." Ronan tried to pull his face away but Adam held fast. "She would've been proud of you too."  
  
Ronan swallowed thickly. He took an unsteady breath, but he was smiling when he said, "She would've loved it, you know? She would've worn it around the house like the queen of fucking England. I would've had to dream her a matching scepter." Then he laughed quietly. "That can be next on the list."  
  
Adam pushed into his arms and kissed the lingering sadness away.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Ouch, this is way more angsty than intended. It is literally labeled as 'Cute Scritchy Fic' in my docs. How did it end up like this, HOW DID IT END UP LIKE THIS??
> 
> Title is from Lighthouse - by Patrick Watson, awesome pynch song 10/10 would recommend.
> 
> First fic in a LONG ass time. I'm talking FF.N days. But I needed to get this idea out of my head. 
> 
> Follow on tumblr @syciaralynx if you want nonsense posts that make me laugh about TRC AFTG and Six of Crows. :) 
> 
> Edit:::: Let me know of any spelling errors, etc, (Im awful at switching tenses)


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